Lane & ramp hitting - is it me?

SilverBallAddict · Sep 9, 2012

I've been playing TPA extensively & exclusively for the past month now and have seen my skill in nudging, catching & multi-ball play improve so much I've managed a top 700 all time score on RBION. My downfall seems to be hitting ramps & lanes from a caught ball. Not all are giving me trouble, the ramp on Arabian Nights is fine & TOMs lanes are getting there. It's the lightning/tiger loops on TOTAN & the right ramp on RBION from caught ball that are giving me nightmares! Is it lack of skill/table knowledge or are there any other pinball heads out there with similar problems? Thx for reading.

laughing_lunatic · Sep 9, 2012

Hitting that tiger loop to the left side gives me fits as well. I'm never usually even close, and hit it accidentally for the most part. When I was focusing on getting the Harem Multiball, it took me a dozen or more games to do it, focusing on nothing else.

ScotchYeti · Sep 9, 2012

Same here regarding TOTAN. In the old Hall of Fame version it was no problem but in TPA the weak power at the end of the flipper does funny things with the ball.

bavelb · Sep 9, 2012

No issues for me personally on hitting targets from trapped balls if I have the time. But thats my preferred playstyle anyway (stop-n-go). If I need to get Harem (I had to get the goals reset about 4 times now, due to my own choice or fault mind you) I can pretty much get it on the first game. The right ramp on RBION is very easy to hit from a right flipper backhand once you get the timing down (pretty much release and shoot).

I have more issues hitting targets during hurry-ups and countdowns personally. Stuff like the cellar in TOM, Stoplight on extra ball in HD etc etc.

laughing_lunatic · Sep 9, 2012

bavelb said:
But thats my preferred playstyle anyway (stop-n-go).

Me too. Make a shot, bring the ball under control. Set up your next shot etc. But that ramp is my nemesis.

SilverBallAddict · Sep 9, 2012

I am just starting my pinball addiction, trapping the ball was first on hit list of must have weapons! I can hit the right ramp (RBION) from right flipper 1/4 shots, thought that left should be the one to do it from though. Tiger loops on TOTAN still elude me. Starting to try method of trap 1 ball & play other in mult-ball, not much success yet though letters in RBION deem neccecary. Any tips on this tricky ball control would be welcomed.

mmmagnetic · Sep 9, 2012

"Take the express lane!"

...yeah, I usually panic during multiball on Taxi. Creature has these nasty, very far to the side shots during multiball as well (KISS and the slide).

Another thing I find really hard to hit is that single drop target (for extra ball) on Whirlwind. I love Lawlor tables, but man, he really packs the shots very tightly.

And for some reason I really love backhanded shots. They just feel good. Starting multiball this way is the only thing I ever accomplished on Guns n Roses.

superballs · Sep 10, 2012

I was playing ToTAN for iOS today and found the left tiger loop to be a lot easier than i remember it. Not sure if it's a difference in how the platform plays or what but it was pretty easy.

It's strange, i don't think I have a particular Achilles' heel, but some games, shots that i can hit in my sleep become the hardest shots ever. I'm usually good at left/right ramp combos like the peasant/damsel ramps or the bride of frankensein ramps...but put me on a timer and it all falls apart...or worse, the timer just isn't necessary

Jazza · Sep 10, 2012

mmmagnetic said:
And for some reason I really love backhanded shots. They just feel good. Starting multiball this way is the only thing I ever accomplished on Guns n Roses.

Agreed. Love the backhanders!

BOP billionaire shot gets me a lot. Must be the pressure..lol Hit that middle loop so many times to set it up and when the shot finally comes with the b-i-l-l-i-o-n-a-i-r-e letters flashing my flipper skills seem to go to pieces and I miss the middle loop and drain most times down the right lane.

pseudokings · Sep 10, 2012

Waaaaayyyy too often when I flip the ball off the left flipper to the right ramp, in rhythm or from a ball stall, on Monster Bash I hit the outer peg on the ramp and it drains down the center. This is absolutely a "flow" machine, and I have incredible rhythm for a white guy (seriously), but it just about feels like this shot is scripted (wrong) it happens so often and is totally unrealistic, and infuriating. Most of the tables are honestly a little harder to hit the shot you want on them from a ball stall than the real things, which is annoying, and yet are easier to hit the right shot with a flail. Another thing that I hope they work on as TPA evolves.

Other shots that are a little harder to hit than they should be (IMO):
-The Head on RBION
-Center ramp on TOM
-Trunk on TOM
-Creature on MB
-Loop on BH
-Lower table entrance on BH
-Loop on TOTAN
-right inner loop that leads to the ball lock on TOTAN
-Dragon Ramp on MM
-Ramp on CV
-Upper loop on Funhouse (trapdoor)

Oh, and it's harder to get a ball stall in the first place than it should be.

Squid · Sep 10, 2012

For Mr. SBAddict, the nuances of timing your shots (captured balls or balls in 'flow') is one of the best facets of TPA, in my opinion. Being a little adept on this matter, I'm here for your Ripley needs.

These are the most important (and useful) captured shots that you should get familiar with.

From the Left Flipper
- The Post Pass (It's risky. general rule, don't do it. I only mention it as the minimum measure of timing things)
- The center ramp (I can do this one in my sleep)
- The Vari-target.* (This one should become instinctive and become the medium measure of your timing)
- The right ramp* (it's useful for relights, gotta use it. 2/3 - 3/4 down the flipper seems to be the spot)

From the Right Flipper
- The Post Pass (It is much more reliable going from right to left)
- The right ramp (learn it, use it)
- The Vari-target (I don't use this one much as it usually just deflects off of the Vari-target. useful for switching continents)
- The head* (A captured shot can be made but, a slow flow on the ball seems to work better)

All shots are listed in the order as the ball comes rollin' to a drain.
* indicates shots to be learned with some flow on the ball.

I have other shots in my repertoire but, these are the most useful. I hope this helps.

Squid · Sep 10, 2012

Edit: Sorry, I got distracted (I write down my key notes before I post them). It should have read...

- The center ramp (I can do this one in my sleep. It's just beyond a bad Post Pass. you'll probably learn to hit the scoop too.)

BonzoGonzo · Sep 10, 2012

seems to me, like a lot of people complaining here don't actually try to get better at their shots...

no guys its not the tpa, its the (original) table design and your skill

edit: i don't want to come off as an a$$ btw, its just that some shots ARE tricky and they are meant to be, while others... well, its just you

Sean DonCarlos · Sep 10, 2012

pseudokings said:
Waaaaayyyy too often when I flip the ball off the left flipper to the right ramp, in rhythm or from a ball stall, on Monster Bash I hit the outer peg on the ramp and it drains down the center. This is absolutely a "flow" machine, and I have incredible rhythm for a white guy (seriously), but it just about feels like this shot is scripted (wrong) it happens so often and is totally unrealistic, and infuriating.

If you're talking about the two blue posts on the right Bride ramp, those are specifically there to punish players for missing the ramp. The real Monster Bash does the exact same thing. The only thing that I know is wrong with them is that the rightmost one sometimes incorrectly accelerates a ball that rebounds into it slowly from the Drac targets. But if you rocket a ball into it from the left flipper, it should and does come screaming back to the center.

psuedokings said:
Other shots that are a little harder to hit than they should be (IMO):
-The Head on RBION
-Center ramp on TOM
-Trunk on TOM
-Creature on MB
-Loop on BH
-Lower table entrance on BH
-Loop on TOTAN
-right inner loop that leads to the ball lock on TOTAN
-Dragon Ramp on MM
-Ramp on CV
-Upper loop on Funhouse (trapdoor)

Having played all these tables in real life, the only one I agree with you on is MM's dragon ramp. For some reason that shot seems to be harder than the real one. The others are either meant to be difficult shots (RBION's shrunken head, FunHouse's trapdoor) or, and I say this with all due respect, you need to improve your accuracy.

acw-nf · Sep 10, 2012

Try watching some videos at Pinball.org . Most of the PBA titles are there. The Monster Bash video was very helpful for me.

These videos can be very helpful both in learning good table strategies, as well as the flow of each table.

They also teach you that you are going to drain balls if you screw up shots. A miss = punishment, end of story.

The tutorial makers are experts, and they drain 'em too. Getting discouraged and/or blaming the table is the first step towards utter failure. Practice, practice and more practice, that's all there is to any pin.

SilverBallAddict · Sep 10, 2012

Played my first Atlantis tonight! Thanks for all the info, it must have helped & inspired my play. @squid - ur order of shots helped, kept my head from tryin high drain shots. @laughinglunatic - it's good to hear its not just me struggling with these shots. @bonzogonzo - thx for the harsh reality that my game just needs practice!
To all that wrote strategies, thanks, & keep it flipper side up!

BonzoGonzo · Sep 11, 2012

SilverBallAddict said:
Played my first Atlantis tonight! Thanks for all the info, it must have helped & inspired my play. @squid - ur order of shots helped, kept my head from tryin high drain shots. @laughinglunatic - it's good to hear its not just me struggling with these shots. @bonzogonzo - thx for the harsh reality that my game just needs practice!
To all that wrote strategies, thanks, & keep it flipper side up!

sorry dude, i really don't mean to be some kind of 'elitistic' prick saying stuff like that, but once you will get better with (at? for? not sure

) 'general feel' for pinball, it will all be second nature to you... so keep playing, and don't really fret about if you're 'good', 'bad' or 'just average'...

there is always someone who is better and always someone who is worse than you - in the end, it's always just you, which you play against... well besides playing against the table itself and going for those free credits/highscores

in the end it's all about trying to better YOUR score, and improving YOUR own skills

SilverBallAddict · Sep 11, 2012

Spot on Bonzogonzo, I don't think u came across as elitist, just right! My original query was just about the difficulty in hitting those lightning loops. I've always been one for practice makes perfect, or in pinball terms, practice makes the game last longer! Thanks for your honesty.

Boggystyle · Sep 19, 2012

Jazza said:
BOP billionaire shot gets me a lot. Must be the pressure..lol Hit that middle loop so many times to set it up and when the shot finally comes with the b-i-l-l-i-o-n-a-i-r-e letters flashing my flipper skills seem to go to pieces and I miss the middle loop and drain most times down the right lane.

THIS is going to send me to the hospital, whether it be medical or mental ward, or both!

SlamCitySkates · Sep 21, 2012

Squid said:
For Mr. SBAddict, the nuances of timing your shots (captured balls or balls in 'flow') is one of the best facets of TPA, in my opinion. Being a little adept on this matter, I'm here for your Ripley needs.

These are the most important (and useful) captured shots that you should get familiar with.

From the Left Flipper
- The Post Pass (It's risky. general rule, don't do it. I only mention it as the minimum measure of timing things)
- The center ramp (I can do this one in my sleep)
- The Vari-target.* (This one should become instinctive and become the medium measure of your timing)
- The right ramp* (it's useful for relights, gotta use it. 2/3 - 3/4 down the flipper seems to be the spot)

From the Right Flipper
- The Post Pass (It is much more reliable going from right to left)
- The right ramp (learn it, use it)
- The Vari-target (I don't use this one much as it usually just deflects off of the Vari-target. useful for switching continents)
- The head* (A captured shot can be made but, a slow flow on the ball seems to work better)

All shots are listed in the order as the ball comes rollin' to a drain.
* indicates shots to be learned with some flow on the ball.

I have other shots in my repertoire but, these are the most useful. I hope this helps.

I agree with all these.
I ALWAYS hit the temple ramp from a trapped left flipper shot unless the ramp is unlit and getting Big Points would spoil another line.
If the lane is lit, you trap the ball again and get another shot up the same ramp.
If its unlit - you get the rolling shot to the vari-target.
I think the right ramp shot is hard from the left - especially since its a gimme from the trapped ball on the right flipper. The head shot IMHO should only be attempted from a rolling right inlane shot.
And bearing that in mind, North America is by far hard the hardest mini game on the table.

For me, the key to RBION is regularly hitting the ramps during any of the multiballs. Do that and you are halfway to Atlantis / Frog Frenzy.

Lane & ramp hitting - is it me?

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